SEC Network arrives today; 'Best of Alabama' football games featured on Friday

Wednesday

Aug 13, 2014 at 11:00 PMAug 13, 2014 at 11:49 PM

The day Southeastern Conference sports fans have been awaiting is finally here. The SEC Network goes live at 5 p.m. today with three hours of programming that will give viewers highlights from each of the conference's 14 member schools and the 21 sports played within the SEC.

By Jason MortonStaff Writer

The day Southeastern Conference sports fans have been awaiting is finally here.The SEC Network goes live at 5 p.m. today with three hours of programming that will give viewers highlights from each of the conference's 14 member schools and the 21 sports played within the SEC.During the next two weeks, the ESPN-backed channel will feature an assortment of events and specials, including specific programming to feature each SEC university in 14 days with team previews, greatest games and other features.For University of Alabama fans, the Crimson Tide will feature first with a “Best of Alabama” selection of football games starting at 1 a.m. Friday.These games include:The 2009 SEC Championship against the University of Florida, which brought coach Nick Saban his first SEC title at Alabama.The 2012 SEC Championship against the University of Georgia that the Crimson Tide barely edged out with a defensive stand.The 2013 Alabama vs. Texas A&M regular season game in which the Crimson Tide outlasted the Aggie offense and quarterback Johnny “Football” Manziel.The Jan. 7, 2013, win over the Notre Dame Fighting Irish for the BCS title.Additionally, Crimson Tide fans may want to set their digital video recorders (or their alarm clocks) for Saturday in order to relive the thrashing Alabama put on LSU when the Jan. 9, 2012, BCS title game is rebroadcast. All of this leads up to the network's first live college football game on Aug. 28 when the Aggies of Texas A&M take on the South Carolina Gamecocks. Regularly scheduled studio shows and fall programming also will commence on this date.In addition to an expansive slate of college football programming, the network will also showcase other sports across the conference with both men's basketball and women's soccer events airing on the television channel and 15 soccer matches being carried live on SECNetwork.com and WatchESPN.Alongside television screens, the SEC Network will be available on phones, tablets and computers via each respective television provider's website, as well as the WatchESPN mobile app and SECNetwork.com. The mobile platforms will feature live and on-demand content.In May 2013, ESPN reached a 20-year agreement with the SEC to operate the new channel. It plans to air 45 college football games this season, with each of the conference's 14 member schools playing at least one game on the network within the first four weeks of the season.The network expects to broadcast more than 1,000 SEC sports-related events in its first year, including more than 100 men's basketball games, 60 women's basketball games and 75 baseball games, as well as events from the 21 other sports at SEC schools.Other programming will include commentary and analysis in studio shows, daily news and information original content such as “SEC Storied” and spring football games. Hundreds of additional live events from various sports will be offered exclusively on the digital platform.Below is a list of highlights compiled by ESPN of the 14 Schools in 14 Days marathon that will mark the first two weeks of the SEC Network:SEC Team Previews: Every SEC team will have its own 30-minute college football preview show with analysts Greg McElory and Booger McFarland breaking down each team's potential for the 2014 season.“Best of” games: Each school, over 14 days, will have a marathon of great games from the past five to 10 years.All-Access: Four 30-minute specials taking viewers inside preseason practices throughout the conference as teams prepare for the 2014 football season.SEC Football BCS National Championships: the SEC won nine BCS National Championships, including seven consecutive titles between 2007 and 2013. On Saturday, the SEC Network will air an 18-hour marathon of SEC BCS National Championship wins.Trophy Lives, Heisman Winners of the SEC: On Sunday, viewers have the chance to relive SEC games featuring standout performances from SEC Heisman winners. The games will be followed by a one-hour special with the SEC greats who have taken home the most prestigious trophy in college sports and an SEC Rewind game from 1980 featuring two Heisman trophy winners — Georgia's Herschel Walker and South Carolina's George Rogers.SEC Storied: an ESPN film series from the creators of the Peabody- and Emmy Award-winning “30 for 30” series, focusing on the people, teams, moments and events that tell the ongoing story of the SEC.